Orson Welles pulls from his bag of tricks

Orson Welles did more than direct "Citizen Kane." While he found it hard to obtain the creative freedom and financing to make the kind of movies he wanted to after the 1940s, he did produce a few under-the-radar gems before his death in 1985.

One of them is "F is for Fake" (1973; 85 minutes), which is quite unlike any movie you've probably ever seen. Join CineVerse on July 21 to see what all the fuss is about.

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The train is leaving "The Last Station"

The Oak Lawn Library will be showing the upcoming following film in its lower level meeting room (for more details visit http://www.lib.oak-lawn.il.us/upcomingevents.shtml):

The Last Station (2009) -- Wednesday, July 21 at 2 p.m. -- This historical drama illustrates Russian author Leo Tolstoy's struggle to balance fame and wealth with his commitment to a life devoid of material things. Starring Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren. Based on a novel by Jay Parini. Rated: R . 112 min.

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The Fever still burns...in a campy kinda way

by Erik J. Martin

In 1977, chances are you were paying big bills at the gas pump, wearing wide collars and polyester, and dancing to the Bee Gees.

One of the defining films of that generation and the ultimate statement of the disco era, "Saturday Night Fever" is still stayin' alive after nearly 23 years. In the two-plus decades since, we've witnessed the rapid rise and fall of punk, new wave, club dance, grunge, hip hop, and the film's star, John Travolta himself.

Is it still possible to channel your inner disco and appreciate this pop culture artifact from the late seventies, or should it have been buried and forgotten long ago? Let's explore the evidence.

Weak on plot, but long on grooves and discotheque moves, "Fever"--based on a story published in New York Magazine by Nik Cohn--tells the tale of a young Brooklynite struggling for an identity independent of his dysfunctional Italian family and dead-end bound hoodlum friends. Travolta's only talents--and his only chance of winning the girl of his dreams--lie on the dance floor, where he outshines all else with his improvised moves and flashy white suit. With legs spread apart, one hand on his hip and the other pointing its index finger back-and-forth between his upper right and lower left, Travolta created a nationwide dance move sensation that is still imitated (in an irreverent manner of course) to this day.

The performance earned Travolta his first best actor Oscar nomination. "Fever" also spawned a virtual cottage industry of urban discos that popped up around the country, including the infamous Studio 54 club that quickly became the hottest niteclub in the Big Apple. The soundtrack, meanwhile, featuring such disco hits as "More Than a Woman," "Disco Inferno," "How Deep is Your Love," and the title track, went on to become the biggest selling motion picture soundtrack in history.

And in the late 1970s, the film made the top 10 box office champs list. The R-rated movie was so popular, in fact, that a PG version was released a year later, keeping "Fever" in the theaters for a seemingly endless run and introducing it to a younger generation.

A sorry excuse for a sequel, "Staying Alive," starring Travolta and directed by Sylvester Stallone, was released in 1983, but earned at best a lukewarm reception from audiences. By this time, after all, disco was as dead as a Dodo bird. Several years later, however, the music and the fashion made a campy nostalgic revival in the nineties, when disco was to that decade what the grease and 50s rock n' roll renaissance was to the 1970s, and what the psychedelic 1960s resurgence was to the eighties.

I guess that means we're in for a wave of 1990s nostalgia in this new decade. Brace yourselves for a comeback by Nirvana, Julia Roberts and Macarana, I expect.) In the immortal words of Gloria Gaynor, "I will survive"--indeed.

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"Vertigo" for virgin ears

If you enjoyed our exploration of "Psycho" and Alfred Hitchcock last week, you may also appreciate our in-depth discussion of one of the master of suspense's all-time great pictures, "Vertigo," which our film group examined two years ago.

To hear the recorded podcast, click here.

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Billy Wilder deals you an Ace

Kirk Douglas shines with sinister zeal in "Ace in the Hole" (aka "The Big Carnival"), Billy Wilder's 1951 study in cynicism. That's our film on the docket for July 14.

For the full scoop on "Ace in the Hole," click here.

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Take a bite of "Fried Green Tomatoes"

The Oak Lawn Library will be showing the upcoming following film in its lower level meeting room (for more details visit http://www.lib.oak-lawn.il.us/upcomingevents.shtml):

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) -- Wednesday, July 14 at 10 am. -- A housewife who is unhappy with her life befriends an older lady in a nursing home and is enthralled by the tales she tells of people she used to know. Starring Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary-Louise Parker. Based on a novel by Fannie Flagg. Rated: PG-13. 130 min.

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Sci-fi for the summer poll

We’re off to a late start, but we have a new CineVerse poll for July. This time around, CineVerse asks the question: “What is the greatest science-fiction film of all time?” You have 25 picks to select from, so get to it! Cast your vote by participating in the poll found on the left sidebar of our homepage (vote closes on July 31).

And in case you were curious as to the results of last month’s poll, which asked the question “What is the greatest summer popcorn movie of the last 30 years,” the winner, by a landslide, was “Raiders of the Lost Ark” with 53% of the vote, followed by: “E.T.” (20%); “Terminator 2” (13%); and “Forest Gump” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl” (each with 6%).

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Celebrate Norman Bates' 50th birthday

You are cordially invited to celebrate the 50th birthday of Alfred Hitchcock's celebrated cinematic masterpiece of suspense, "Psycho," on July 7. That's the date we'll also be celebrating our film group's 5th anniversary. Make plans to join us for a frightfully fun evening.

Want to learn more about Psycho? Click here.

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Take a trip through "Time"

The Oak Lawn Library will be showing the upcoming following film in its lower level meeting room (for more details visit http://www.lib.oak-lawn.il.us/upcomingevents.shtml):

Somewhere in Time (1980) -- Tuesday, July 6 at 10 a.m. -- A Chicago playwright uses self-hypnosis to time travel to meet an actress whose vintage portrait hangs in a grand hotel. Starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. Based on a novel by Richard Matheson. Rated: PG. 103 min.

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